UW-Madison to create new ‘front door’

The university plans to improve customer service for its prospective students, parents and campus visitors by creating a new “front door.”

The change, effective Feb. 1, will bring together the existing offices of Admissions and Visitor and Information Programs (VIP), according to Provost Patrick Farrell. The combined unit, which may announce a new identity next year, will be an arm of the Division of Enrollment Management.

Both units already provide a continuum of services to students and parents, starting with a campus visit, continuing through the admissions process and, eventually, to the university’s Parent Program.

“Visitor and Information Programs and admissions already collaborate on a variety of important programs and services, so it makes good sense for us to pool our resources,” says VIP director Steve Amundson, who will lead the combined units. “Our main goals are to improve customer service, enhance programming and elevate the overall admissions experience for our clients.”

The change will not fundamentally alter the university’s admissions process or availability of campus tours, but will seek to improve already strong services, says Joanne Berg, vice provost for enrollment management.

The most immediate benefit to the public will be an enhanced focus on customer service, says Berg. The university plans to improve its ability to answer inquiries from prospective students and parents.

During the past decade, UW–Madison has seen record levels of applications along with academically strong and diverse classes of incoming students. The incoming freshman class this fall was made up of more than 20 percent of students who are the first in their families to have the opportunity to attend college.

As part of the change, current admissions director Robert Seltzer will assume a leadership position in the Division of Enrollment Management, helping to set a long-term plan for the university’s enrollment goals, as well as analysis of data and projections.

“Our success in admissions has been an integral part of the university’s overall rise in quality and national reputation,” Berg says.

“Rob will not only be studying the number and type of students that are enrolled, but will also be making recommendations about how those students are served while they are on campus,” she adds. “He’ll be helping me look at the entire student life cycle.”

VIP, formerly known as the Campus Information and Visitor Center, has provided assistance to hundreds of thousands campus visitors, through tours and visits coordinated for prospective students and field-trip participants.

It also serves as an information and referral source. Most recently, the UW–Madison Parent Program has provided a vital link to 8,500 parents interested in news and information that allows them to better support their student.